March 20, 2007

Shattered Glass

Director Billy Ray shines a light through journalist Stephen Glass.

By Jeffrey Siniard 3/20/2007

What is the responsibility of all persons writing for a major publication to ensure that what makes it into print is the truth? What is the price of loyalty to a star reporter whose stories make your magazine special, even if they're bullshit? What is the emotional toll on an unproven supervisor, who must weigh the support and devotion of his employees versus the survival of his publication? Lastly, what kind of person would fabricate stories, knowing eventually that the music will stop and he will be left without a seat?

Writer and director Billy Ray attempts to answer many of these questions with his 2003 debut film, Shattered Glass. It tells the now well-known story of young journalist Stephen Glass, who was fired from the New Republic in 1998 for fabricating parts or whole stories. Ray's picture shows uncommon focus, while squeezing no small amount of drama out of the office politics of a major political magazine.

The picture has one glaring weakness, and it hurts the overall momentum and tension. Ray never conveys the frenzy that must have been present in this office for Glass to get over. It's literally unbelieveable when you're portraying a company full of hyper competitive hotshot reporters, all in their mid-20's, all trying to make names for themselves. Thus, the fawning over Glass' reporting seems a excessive; there had to be SOMEBODY in that office who wanted to beat him. Ray fares much better showing the homes of these characters; their houses and apartments are low-rent and spartan; the combination of very young people, very little money, and very little time rings absolutely true.

In reality though, as it is in many low budget dramas, Ray has to be able to pull good performances from his cast. Fortunately, his script is both subtle and perceptive; he's also got a great eye for casting (or his casting director is a genius). Hank Azaria plays fired editor Michael Kelly, who may have suspected Glass' duplicity, but ultimately bought into the ruse. Chloe Sevigny and Melanie Lynsky portray Caitlin and Amy, writers who both love Glass for his (false) humility and consideration. Steve Zahn adds a nice steely layer to his normal comic zaniness as Adam Penenberg, the rival reporter who discovers that Glass may have fabricated his story.

Ray's accomplishments are with the main characters. He pulls a complicated performance from Hayden Christensen as Glass, the kind of guy who we first love and envy, then hate and despise for duping us, then hate ourselves for still feeling sympathy for him. Christensen layers this performance so that we don't see someone coming apart before our eyes, rather, someone who plays like they're coming apart as a way to gin up sympathy from his co-workers. He is reduced to a whining, sniveling weasel, but one that we recognize as brilliantly manipulative, so that we never know whether our guard should be up or down. He seems more than a little sociopathic, which is both honest and right.

Glass meets his perfect foil however, in editor Chuck Lane, just as Christensen the actor meets his match in the perceptively intelligent Peter Sarsgaard. We (the audience) make the same mistake that everyone in the office initially makes - that is, the mistake of trusting Glass. Lane seems initially like a snooty, slit eyed corporate climber. But as the movie goes along, Sarsgaard gradually pulls Lane out of the corner and into the light. In his eyes, you see the common sense, trust in instinct, and well-tuned bullshit detector that any editor has to have. He eventually represents journalistic integrity and devotion to employees at its finest.

Two scenes in particular stand out: a conference call with a rival publication that is pointing out the holes in Glass' story, and Lane with Glass on a walking tour of the locations in his story. As Glass keeps changing the facts and dates, and promising that "it's in my notes," you see in Lane's eyes how he's putting the pieces together, wanting to believe in Glass' integrity and yet becoming more infuriated at each fresh lie.

While Shattered Glass is a bit uneven, the picture displays ethical honesty. Billy Ray proves to be a shrewd handler of actors. When Ray is able to focus the movie on Lane and Glass, as the details in Glass's story and notes unravels, and Lane begins to realize the extent of Glass' duplicity, the picture becomes electric.